BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1522

By: Taylor

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In the spring of 2020, Texas schools had to rapidly change the manner in which instruction was provided to students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes switched from the traditional method of in-person instruction to virtual instruction to ensure students could continue to learn while social distancing from their classmates. Though students were able to continue their education, the quick transition created its own problems. Attendance of students in Texas dropped by roughly three percent across all grade levels from October 2019 to October 2020. To ensure that schools were able to continue operating despite a decline in their funding, the state offered a "hold harmless" agreement, which allowed districts to receive funding based on their historic average daily attendance trends in the same manner that was provided during Hurricane Harvey. However, there has been confusion regarding the duration of the agreement. S.B. 1522 seeks to address this issue by providing for the adjustment of the average daily attendance of a school district on the basis of a calamity.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1522 amends the Education Code to establish that an adjustment of the average daily attendance of a public school district on the basis of a calamity may only be provided based on a particular calamity for an additional amount of instructional days equivalent to one school year, in addition to providing the adjustment for the amount of instructional days during the semester in which the calamity first occurred. The bill authorizes the commissioner of education to divide the adjustment between two consecutive school years.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.